Teachers meetings are essential to review lessons, coordinate schedules, plan special events, and build the team. Unfortunately, they are an often-neglected necessity. But work schedules, family activities, changing households, and other calendar conflicts lead to poor attendance and lack of interest. By limiting meetings, making mandatory meetings more fun, and using a variety of other creative formats to relay information, leaders can accomplish the same objectives, help increase participation, and demonstrate a respect for their teachers’ already hectic schedules.

Create a Display

Highlight material related to current or upcoming lessons by creating a display on a resource shelf, table, cart, or bulletin board (if you have those). Include books, videos, posters, timelines, puppets, and more. Encourage teachers to browse and to borrow the items and the ideas.

Send a Subscription

Provide a subscription to a Christian education magazine for each teacher. Each issue will contain lesson ideas, learning projects, and leadership techniques.

Attend an Activity

One hour, one day, one weekend, or even one week at a class, conference, or course will equip and energize teachers and assistants. Present opportunities for local, regional, and national training events, and provide options for covering costs, organizing transportation, arranging for substitutes, and coordinating childcare.

Plan a Party

Organize a progressive dinner as a unique way to provide fellowship and education. Arrange at least three different “courses.” Whet appetites with appealing approaches, tempting techniques, and provocative plans for teaching. While serving the main course, cover meaty topics such as trends in church and society, questioning skills, and classroom management. For dessert, discuss ways to enhance various aspects of your teaching ministry.

Give a Gift

Give teachers gift certificates and encourage them to select materials of special interest. While browsing and buying, the teacher can peruse new Christian education materials as well as the tried and true.

Learn at Lunch

Take each teacher to lunch yearly to reward accomplishments, reaffirm commitments, reevaluate responsibilities, respond to concerns, and review the scope and sequence of lessons for the coming year.

View a Video

Make videos available on topics ranging from classroom management to creative methods. Gather as a group to watch the programs or encourage teachers to take the materials home to view, or link to online resources and include questions for discussion.

Organize an Outing

Organize an outing to enrich the experiences of your team. Go to a play or popular movie, visit a church, or meander through a museum to learn more about another culture. Libraries, denominational headquarters and publishing houses, and world relief organizations are only a few possibilities!

Meet by E-mail

Send links to newsletters, articles, cartoons, and other ideas you've found insightful. Hold a “meeting” by e-mail for updates on topics such as future education events, new resources, restocked supplies, and any new announcements.

Plan for Prayer

Pray for each teacher on a daily or weekly basis. Develop a system of prayer partners among your teaching staff or the entire congregation. Add teachers to the prayer chain and publish a monthly prayer guide for the Christian education ministries.

Match with a Mentor

Match a veteran teacher with a new teacher or team a former teacher with a present one. Arrange for times of nurture to take place among the support systems.

Turn on Technology

When a meeting is absolutely essential but no one has time for a meeting, try a technological approach by exploring online conferencing tool.